Scotland will receive a new bank holiday in June 2026 to celebrate the men's national football team's participation in the FIFA World Cup, marking their first appearance in the tournament in nearly 30 years. The date of the next bank holiday has been brought forward from its traditional late August slot to mid-June.
World Cup Schedule and Holiday Date
The extra public holiday will follow Scotland's first group stage match against Haiti in Boston, Massachusetts, which kicks off at 2am on Sunday, 14 June. Scotland's remaining group matches are against Morocco, also in Boston, and Brazil in Miami, Florida. The holiday is intended to allow fans to celebrate the team's achievement and watch the games.
Council Participation and School Closures
Only five of Scotland's 32 councils have confirmed they will grant the public holiday: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, and South Lanarkshire. These councils have also confirmed that schools will be closed on that day. Aberdeen City Council staff governance committee convener Neil Copland described the occasion as "a bit of history in the making," adding that the early kick-off time of 2am was a factor in the decision. Vice-convener Gill Al-Samarai noted that ad hoc public holidays have been granted in recent years for events such as the Coronation of King Charles and the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee and funeral.
Worker and Business Reactions
Unison organiser John Mooney expressed concern that many local government workers may feel overlooked, stating, "By raising expectations without putting the necessary arrangements in place, many workers feel overlooked." He acknowledged that council staff are accustomed to working on public holidays but emphasised their right to participate in national celebrations. Meanwhile, Colin Borland, Director of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, highlighted challenges for businesses, saying, "If you have customers to look after and orders to fulfil, you can't simply shut down and give everyone the day off. It will be a particularly busy time for lots of small businesses and self-employed people – so it will probably be all hands on deck for many bars, shops, restaurants, taxi firms and more."
